Author: John Lawless

The list of country stars with a bluegrass background is an impressive one. Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley both took their training with Ralph Stanley to the top of the country charts, and Vince Gill did some picking and singing

That's right folks, there is banjo music in the Big Apple. But you already knew that (didn't you?). Well, here's another NYC banjo story. It involves Bennett Sullivan, a transplanted Tar Heel now plying the five string trade in the Big

Weber Fine Acoustic Instruments, builders of mandolin family instruments, plus arch top and resonator guitars, has been acquired by Two Old Hippies, LLC, the parent company of Bedell and Breedlove guitars. The instruments will continue to be handmade by Bruce Weber and

The good folks at Guitar World magazine, who specialize in rock music, have a new DVD title in their Essential Licks series for bluegrass pickers - or guitarists who want to give it a try. 20 Essential Bluegrass Licks is just

Mountain Fever Records has released their second Christmas CDs in as many years. In 2011 there was Heather Berry's Have A Berry Merry Christmas, and for Christmas 2012, Sweet Potato Pie offers Home Grown Christmas, released November 12. The album contains a baker's dozen

We all know the old joke: Q. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? A. Practice. It seems that Tim Graves has a real-life, updated version. Q. How do you make into the movies? A. Drive. Tim is a noted resonator guitarist, nephew of the legendary Josh Graves,

CMT.com has posted several videos from a recent performance by Punch Brothers, live in their Nashville studio. There are five full songs, taken from their current Who's Feeling Young Now album, and its predecessor, Antifogmatic. Here are a couple, starting with their

We caught up with Chris Pandolfi and Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters in Roanoke this past Friday evening (11/16), just before soundcheck for the next-to-last show of their Fall 2012 tour. The lighting isn't ideal, but the guys share a

Sad news from Florida... Local bluegrass icon Roger Bass has died at age 70, one day before his 71st birthday. Mark Horn, Vice President of the Southwest Florida Bluegrass Association shares this report: "Roger Bass passed away peacefully on Friday, November 16 in

Ned Luberecki and Stephen Mougin are a pair of busy bluegrass boys. Both serve as sidemen and band members with different outfits (Chris Jones and Sam Bush respectively), and have "regular jobs" in the biz as well. Ned is an on-air host on Sirius-XM's Bluegrass Junction, and